Concrete construction block



Feb. 21, 1928.

- c. L. SCHAEFFER CONCRETE VC'ONSTRUCTION BLOCK Filed June 1925gwuwnfo'a CHARLES L. Samsrma flli 5J8 fltbozwaqi Patented Feb. 21, 1928.

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j: Application nie as. i2, 1925. Serial menu] An object of my inventionis to provide a new and novel concrete construction block 7 v w Imaking'thecoquinaishell facing.

having a facing of coq'uina shells.

' Another ob] so that when a structure using "my block, is completed theeffect will be very pleasing to the builder and prospective purchaser orowner. I

Another object is to provide a process for applying this extraneousfacing to a concrete construction block.

Another object of my invention is to pro-' vide a simple and economicalmethod for producing the above block.

These and other objects are accomplished by the means described herein:and disclosed in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is aperspective view of a construction block constructed'in accordance withmy invention. I p V Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2+2 of Fig. 1. pv Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the block un: der construction andshowing the mold. in cross section. 1

My improved block comprises a concrete block 5 having an extraneousfacing of coquina shells 6. The facing 6 is a composition comprisin aproportion. of-approximately one-'thir white cement 'and'twothirdscoquina shells. A mold 7 such as disclosed in Fig. 3, may be utilizedfor making my improved block. A dry mix composed of one-third whitecement and two-thirds coquina shells and water, is first spread alongthe bottom 8 of the mold 7. After this facing 6 has been put into themold, the mold is quina shells give a tint of a very pleasingefiect to astructure using these blocks. The 1 coquina shells are found in depositsmixed ect of my invention is to pro-ff vide a constructlon block havlng.a facing with a small quantity of sand. These "dc posits areused, justas they are found for Coquina shells in natural form are thin, sharp andflaky and whose fiat' surfaces-are very smooth and polished. As pressureis applied to the concrete units in the 'mold the shells tend to flattenout and overlap" very many times in a'very small area as they becometightly packed. I have. found that this overlapping and packing of the vcreased because the flat surfaces of the coquina shells give a muchgreater surface for cement to adhere to than the uneven or curvedsurfaces of aggregates now generally in use. Also a facing of coquinashells will give when necessary a sharp knife edge corner which is notpossible with the aggre gates now generally used, such as small pebblesand crushed stones. Further, a facing I of coquina shells presents analmost unbroken surface-madeup of very many small flat highly polishedshells set close together which tend to take up a minimum amount ofsoot, dirt, etc. I have found that the surface of coquina faced unitscan be easily cleaned by simply allowing Water to run over the surfacethereof, therefore ordinary rain will thoroughly clean and brighten thesurface ofa structure constructed of building units made in accordancewith this invention. I have also found that the surface ofa structure orbuilding composed of coquina faced units is very clean and bright duringa rain and does not show the dark wet spots customary with otherconcrete and cement faced structures. Coquina faced units give tothebuilding industry anew color, i.v e., soft buff, which is verydesirable. This color is permanent and regular because it is absolutelynatural and is superior to the bufi shades now obtainable in claybricks.

Also the color of clay bricks'now generally employed is not uniformvwhile the color of coquinafaced bricks and units is uniform throughout.By sifting and using shells of a uniform size at least six distinctshades of buff may be obtained. The smaller shells have the deepercolor, while the larger particles have the lighter shade. I have alsofound that any given shade can be duplicated by 'usingfthe same size.of! shells that was formerly used.

What I claim is:

1. A concrete cOnstruQtionLJbIocki"having an exterior facing ofoverlapping particles having a uniform and permanent natural" color, andmeans for bonding the particles to one another for making a permanent cig.

2. An exteriorstructural facing composed of thin flaky particles havinga natural, uniform and permanent color-,the particles being so appliedas to expose the edges of'the particles to the atmosphere.

of thin flaky coquina shells having anatural,

uniform andpermanent color, and sufficient cement for bonding the shellsto one another,

the coquina shells being so bonded as to expose the edges oftheshells tothe atmosphere. V V Y In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribedmy name this 11th day of June, 1925. i

-' 25 uk'zAniexterioristructural facing composed CHARLES L. SCHAEFFER. f

